This invention relates to a transferable intermediatesupport having encoded data on a surface thereof, an object having said support affixed thereto, a method of preparing the support and a method of preparing the object.
There exists a need of encoding data on objects including but not limited to photographic prints. On photographic prints data may contain image capture information such as exposure conditions during picture taking or a time and date stamp. Historically storage of this data has been placed on the non-image side of the print. This is done to avoid two major problems. First, the materials needed to carry the non-image data are visible and would thus degrade the original image. For example magnetic materials are useful for the encoding of data on the backside and borders of photographic films. However when the amount of data is small, such as time or date characters, it may be printed on the image side of a photograph. To some even this amount of data on the surface of a print is objectionable. Large data files are prohibitive. The second reason for backside encoding is compatibility of materials. Any materials that carry the non-image data need be optimized to avoid chemical interactions with existing image chemistry. Encoding data on the backside the print will prevent most interactions of this type.
In addition to photographic prints there exists a need to encode data on other objects. These include but are not limited to walls, book covers and pane glass. For some of these objects the problems associated with photographic prints is less important. The overwhelming problem is the method or means of encoding these objects. That is, it is obvious that jet-printing on a photographic print is the preferred means for encoding the data. However jet-printing on a wall or hard book cover is not readily accomplished.
The encoding of data on an object is known. In the monetary and copyrighting industries invisible encoding of indices and markings is well patented See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,855. In postal applications many methods and materials have been described for marking of postal pieces See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,093,147, 5,554,842, 5,542,971, 5,502,304.
The prior art is plentiful of direct printing methods for encoding objects with data. See, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,401,561, 5,629,512, 5,135,569, 5,409,797, and 5,599,649. The direct printing methods commonly described are thermal dye transfer, ink jet and AgX printing.
There exists much art involving thermal dye transfer for the encoding of objects such as mail pieces and card stock. The art describes the transfer of material to a receiver to xe2x80x9cformxe2x80x9d the mark xe2x80x9cpost printingxe2x80x9d. The prior art is disadvantaged in that it provides no means of marking objects other than the flat still media that was co-optimized to receive the printing material. The prior art describes only objects that can be easily sent through a printer. This problem is addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,104 which discloses first jet-printing a white patch over the existing image and then printing the data file in this white area. The problem with this method is that the information under this patch area is lost, in other words the original image was degraded. Obviously the amount of data that can be recorded is limited because only a small area of the original image can be rendered non-viewable. Large data blocks are prohibitive.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,549,952, 5,616,450 and 5,616,447 describe jet printing onto optical disk labels). These patents relate to the printing of a picture or logo onto the surface of an optical disk for aesthetic, artistic or advertisement purposes.
As described above, there is a need to store encoded data on numerous objects. However, the methods described in the prior art generally do not permit applying encoded data onto objects without obscuring all or part of the surface of the object, which in the case of a photographic print results in obscuring the image. Further, there is a need to apply encoded data to objects that are difficult or impossible to put through a conventional printer.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of storing encoded data on an intermediate transferable support as a two dimensional coding, such as a dot code or two-dimensional bar code
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the intermediate transferable support is capable of being transferred with the encoding in its entirety to the final object.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided materials that can be used to store the two dimensional data on said transferable support. In a preferred embodiment the materials are invisible to the naked eye, and does not interfere with the normal observation of the object under normal viewing conditions. In another embodiment the encoded data is visible but placed in a location unobtrusive to other images or data. The intermediate transferable support may or may not be transparent depending on its usage and or the object needed to be encoded. In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the object to be encoded is capable of receiving an intermediate support.
A further aspect of this invention comprises a transferable support comprising a substantially flat sheet having on a surface thereof encoded data in the form of dot code or two-dimensional bar code wherein the data is capable of being read by a sensor.
Still another aspect of this invention comprises a method of preparing a support which comprises applying to substantially flat sheet, encoded data comprising a material capable of being detected by a sensor.
Yet another aspect of this invention comprises an object having affixed to a surface thereof a support comprising a substantially flat sheet having on a surface thereof encoded data in the form of dot code or two-dimensional bar code wherein the data is capable of being read by an sensor.
An additional aspect of this invention comprises a method of applying data to an object which comprises applying to the surface of the object a support comprising comprising a substantially flat sheet having on a surface thereof encoded data in the form of dot code or two-dimensional bar code which is capable of being read by an sensor.